Tumbler washer



Sept. 19, 1939. R. 'c. ASHENDEN 2,173,572

TUMBLER WASHER Filed April 28, 1938 Fig.1.

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Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in tumbler washers and the objectof the invention is to provide a construction which will prevent sewage,which may accumulate as a result of obstruction in the waste or sewagepipe leading from the tumbler washer, from coming in contact with thetumbler being washed and to prevent back siphon age into the pipethrough which a cleansing fluid is supplied to the tumbler washer.

Usual tumbler washer constructions comprise a vertical cylindrical bowlhaving an integral bottom in which is mounted valve-controlled means forprojecting sprays of cleansing liquid, usually clear water, from a usualservice line upon the interior and exterior of an inverted tumblerinserted in the washer, the bowl being provided with an outlet which isconnected to a sewer pipe.

It has been found that where the sewer pipe becomes clogged somewherealong its line its contents back up into the tumbler washer casing tosuch an extent that it may contact with the tumbler and contaminate it,or even overflow the bowl. Under such circumstances the level of thewater is above the nozzle through which the spray is projected upon thetumbler and if the supply of cleansing liquid is shut off, or drawn fromanother pipe, and the valve in the supply pipe opened by pressure or" atumbler, or by other causes, water will be back-siphoned into the supplypipe so that upon opening of another faucet in the supply linecontaminated water will be delivered from the faucet. Many cases ofillness have been traced to contamination of tumblers and to drinkingwater drawn from the supply pipe under such circumstances.

The object of the present invention is to provide a tumbler washer inwhich such accumulation of contaminated liquid and back siphonage iswholly prevented.

A preferred form of tumbler washer mechanism embodying the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a yiew showing in elevation the mechanism for supplying acleansing liquid, such as clear water, from a service pipe, the usualmechanism for spraying jets of cleansing liquid upon the tumbler, andillustrating in vertical diametrical section the bowl and easing of atumbler base or bowl I, preferably of cast metal, having an outwardlyand downwardly extending peripheral flange 2 adapted to rest upon and besupported by a drainboard 3 having an upwardly extending flange andadapted to deliver the waste water into a sink 4 having an outlet pipe 5leading to the sewer. The base or bowl I of the tumbler washer isprovided with relatively thicker portions 6 having an outletcommunicating with the upper end of a waste pipe I also leading to thesewer.

The mechanism for projecting jets of cleansing fluid upon the interiorand exterior of a tumbler may be of any desired form such as thatdisclosed in the prior patents to Levi L. Rowe No. 910,587 grantedJanuary 26, 1909, and 1,645,156 granted October 11, 1927, which haveheretofore been mounted in the bottom of a cylindrical bowl having anintegral bottom provided with an outlet leading to the sewer pipe inwhich construction no means have been provided for preventingaccumulation of sewage from backing up into the bowl upon stoppage of.the sewer pipe.

In the present construction a supply of cleansing fluid, usually freshwater under pressure, which is supplied through a pipe 8, and a suitablebranch, communicates with the bottom of a vertical cylindrical fitting 3which is mounted preferably by screw threaded connection in thethickened portion 6 of the base I. A valve casing I0,

which is mounted upon the fitting $3, is provided with valve-controlledmeans, such as are illustrated in the Rowe patents above mentioned, forprojecting jets of cleansing liquid into the interior of an invertedtumbler through a nozzle Iflw, and is also provided with an outletcommunicating near its lower end with a vertical pipe I I the upper endof which communicates with a hollow ring I2 having suitable perforationsfor projecting a cleansing liquid downwardly upon the exterior of thetumbler. The ring I2 desirably is provided with other supporting rodswhich are connected attheir lower ends to the valve casing I!) toprovide a rigid superstructure.

The valve actuating mechanism is of the type illustrated in the patentsto Rowe above cited and comprises levers I3 and I4 which yieldablysupport a rest I5 for the tumbler provided with three radially extendingrubber cylinders adapted to be engaged by the mouth of the tumbler so asto prevent it from being injured when depressed to actuate the levers I3and I4 which open the valve in the casing Ill, thereby causing jets ofcleansing liquid to be projected upon the interior and exterior of thetumbler.

In usual constructions as above described an ing.

integral casing extends upwardly from the base or bottom of the bowl andencloses the spray producing means to prevent liquid from reboundingfrom the surface of the tumbler and spraying the operator and adjacentobjects. In such usual constructions the upper end of the cylindricalwall has usually been provided with an outwardly extending flangeadapted to rest upon a drainboard which leads to a sink associated witha liquid dispensing apparatus, ice cream containers, or the like.

In the preferred construction illustrated the tumbler washer casinginstead of being supported from the top is supported by the peripheralflange 2 upon the drainboard and suitable means are provided forpermitting such escape of'liquid from the lower part of the bowl ifstoppage of the waste pipe occurs as will prevent an accumulation ofcontaminated liquid which will overflow the spray nozzle [a or submergethe mouth and wall of the tumbler.

In order more fully to illustrate the invention and to show the mannerin which back siphonage may occur and how it is prevented by the presentinvention, a conventional illustration is made of another pipe connectedto the supply pipe 8 through which drinking water may be delivered froma faucet. Assuming that clear water from a service pipe is supplied tothe pipe 8 and through the branch to the tumbler washer another pipe I!communicates through a suitable T ]8 with the supply pipe 8 and isprovided at its upper end with a faucet 19.

nozzle Illa and submerge a part or all of the tumbler and perhapsoverflow the top of the cas- If then a valve in the supply pipe 8 or inthe main which supplies water to it is closed, andparticularly if thespillway of the valve is opened, a vacuum will be created in the pipe 8which will cause back siphonage of the contaminated water. If then thefaucet is opened water will descend through the pipe I! below the branchwhich leads to the tumbler washer and a "considerable accumulation ofcontaminated water in the supply pipe will occur. When the valve in theservice pipe is again opened this contaminated water will be forcedupwardly into the pipe I! and also the branch leading to the tumblerwasher. Anyone who drinks the contaminated Water under such conditionsis liable to disease.

- by providing the base I with an upwardly extending peripheral flange2D and providing a suitable number of lugs 2!, which preferably areintegral with and extend upwardly from the base i, a considerabledistance above the edge of the flange 2D, and mounting upon said lugs acylindrical casing 22 preferably of sheet metal of sufl'iciently smallerdiameter than the flange 20 to provide a space between the lower end 23of the casing and the flange 20 to form a spillway of sufficientcapacity to discharge all liquid which can possibly accumulate in thebase by reason of such stoppage and the opening of the valve in thecasing Ill by the pressure of the tumbler upon the cylinders l6 and restl5.

By reason of this construction therefore the level of the contaminatedwater in the tumbler washer cannot rise above the upper edge of theflange 20 and therefore cannot overflow the nozzle lOa or reach themouth of the tumbler which is attempted to be washed while such stoppageoccurs.

The upper end of the casing 22 desirably is provided with a beaded edge24 to avoid abrasion or cutting of the hand of the operator.

It will be understood that the particular embodiment of the invention,which essentially provides means for so discharging the supply ofcontaminated liquid as to avoid submergence of the nozzle or the mouthof the tumbler, is of an illustrative character, and that variouschanges in form, construction and arrangement of parts may be madewithin the spirit and scope of the following claims.

It will also be understood that while the invention is referred toherein as improvements in tumbler washers, that it may be employed forother purposes, such as washing steins, bottles, ice cream scoops, andother devices, with such changes in construction as may be necessary toenable the valve mechanism to be convenient- -ing above the-top of saidbowl, valve mechanism in said conduit having actuating levers adaptedtobe engaged by the rim of an inverted tumbler and operable when thetumbler is depressed to open said valve and thereby discharge waterunder pressure from said nozzle, and a casing of such diameter andheight as to surround and enclose the inverted tumbler when engagingsaid lever mechanism, mounted upon said bowl and spaced therefrom toprovide an outlet between said casing and said bowl of such area as willprevehtsuflic'ient accumulation of liquid in said bowl and the casing,upon stoppage of the waste pipe or backing up of sewage, as will engagethe rim'of the tumbler or overflow said nozzle.

2. A'tumbler washer mechanism comprising a cylindrical metal bowl havingat its bottom an outlet connected to a waste pipe leading to a sewer andat its top an upwardly extending flange of greater diameter than thebody of the bowl, and a downwardly and outwardly extending flangeadapted to be mounted upon the drainboard of a sink having means fordischarging liquid to an outlet'independent of said waste pipe,jet-producing means comprising a conduit for water under pressuremounted centrally of thebottom of said bowl'and having a nozzleextending above the top' of said bowl, valve mechanism in said conduithaving actuating levers 75 adapted to be engaged by the rim of aninverted tumbler and operable when depressed by said tumbler to opensaid valve, a cylindrical casing of less diameter than the diameter ofthe upwardly extending flange and of such height as to surround theinverted tumbler mounted upon said bowl with its lower end extendingbelow the upper end of said flange and so spaced from the body of saidbowl as to provide an outlet between the casing and the bowl of sucharea as will prevent suflicient accumulation of liquid in the bowl andthe casing, upon stoppage of the waste pipe or backing up of sewage, aswill engage the tumbler or overflow said nozzle.

RICHARD CHADWICK ASHENDEN.

